Holder for collapsible tubes



p 1965 F. J. GRIECO ETAL 3,

HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed March 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p 965 F. J. GRIECO ETAL 3,207,566

HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1963 United States Patent 3,207,566 HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Frank James Grieco, Elmsford, and James Dominick Grieco, Mount Vernon, N.Y., assignors to Jami Products Company, White Plains, N.Y., a partnership Filed Mar. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 268,919 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-209) This invention relates to a tube holder adaptable to a medicine cabinet, and has for an object to provide an improved holder or container for collapsible paste type tubes.

A further object of this invention, is to provide a tube holder or a container especially adapted to hold three large collapsible tubes and four small collapsible tubes of a paste type.

A still further object of this invention, to provide a tube holder or container especially adapted to receive a tube so that it can quickly and easily be removed, and at the same time keep these tubes neatly arranged and clearly visible.

Yet another object is to provide a holder of this character having such an arrangement of parts as will allow the members to be easily removed so that they can be readily cleaned and kept in a sanitary condition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, this invention comprises the construction, combinations, and the arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth, disclosed and shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, showing the tube holder in a closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, showing the divider section and its individual compartments for the different size tubes.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, showing the backing plate with its self adhesive back and key hole openings for screw mounting, by means of which said plate can be readily secured to hold tube holder and also remove it from the existing back wall.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, showing the tube holder in its normally open position.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, showing the tube holder as seen in its open and closed position in a medicine cabinet.

Again referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1 a container 1 is shown into which a divider section 3 is inserted, having a finger piece 2 to open holder thus releasing it from the backing plate 11. In FIGURE 2, the well divider section 3 is so arranged as to hold the large tubes in the rear compartments 4 and the small tubes in the front compartments 16, the stepped bottom 17 allowing for all tubes to rest upon and also extend from the container at an equal height. In FIG- URE 3, the backing plate 11 is secured to the back wall of a medicine cabinet by adhesive members 6 or keyhole shaped openings 5 by means of which said plate can be readily placed upon or removed from wall of said medicine cabinet.

To hold the container in a vertical position against the wall or backing plate 11, there is provided hinge joints 7 and catches 9 which are arranged as follows: the joint includes a pair of small ears or hinge members 7 which are provided with a projecting pin 8 which will fit into openings 12 at the base of the receptacle 1. The container is held in its closed position by two small protruding ears or catches 9 at the top side of the backing plate. These ears have a small projection 13 centrally spaced which will snap into apertures 10 being held together by a snap fit. It will therefore be seen that the con- 3,207,566 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 tainer 1 can be swung upwardly against the backing plate and downwardly away from the backing plate While the lower end of the container remains connected to the backing plate. It will be further be noted that the arrangements of the catches are on the whole similar to the arrangement of the hinge joints excepting that the protruberances at the upper end are not as prominent as the base, the reason being the top catches not having to withstand the pressure that will be received by the hinge joints by the consistent and frequent operation in opening and closing of the container.

The operation of this holder may be readily understood. When it is desired to remove a tube from one of the wells 4 or 16 of the holder, finger piece 2 is engaged by the tip of the forefinger and a slight pull will disengage the catches and the container will then swing down to an open position, the curved section coming to rest on the bottom shelf of the medicine cabinet 14 as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. The tubes can then be lifted out freely. After the tube has been used it can readily be placed in the well from which it was removed and the container swung up into engagement with the catch forming members of the backing plate. If it is desirable to remove the container from the backing plate to clean and wash the container, it is only necessary to apply a slight even pressure outwardly at the hinge joints on each side of the backing plate so that the container can be readily removed from the backing plate. When the container has thus been removed from the backing plate, it is possible to cleanse the interior and surface of the container and also the well divider which also can be easily removed by grasping the center section of said divider wall and lifting upwardly and out.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what we claim is:

A device for holding collapsible tubes of various sizes in a medicine cabinet comprising a backing plate adhesively secured to the rear interior wall of said medicine cabinet, hinge forming members secured near the lower end of said backing plate and including projecting ears provided with pins extending parallel to said backing plate, catch members secured near the upper end of said backing plate including projecting ears provided with protuberances extending parallel to said backing plate, a container having a top opening for said collapsible tubes removably secured to the lower end of said backing plate, said container being provided with apertures for receiving said projecting pins and protuberances thereby holding said container against said backing plate, and a divider section positioned within said container, said divider section having a stepped bottom portion defining compartments of different depths whereby all of said tubes will extend from the top of said container at an equal height, said container having a curved bottom cooperating with said stepped bottom portion of said divider section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,057,541 4/13 Gettins 312-207 X 1,465,627 8/23 Fisher 3l2207 X 2,242,059 5/41 De Witt 220-22 2,754,991 7/56 Hagerty 3l2248 X 2,759,782 8/56 Goodwin 312209 X 2,764,817 10/56 Schwartz 248205 X 2,785,036 3/57 Elsden-King 312327 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

